(EurActiv, 11 Jul 2019) Ursula von der Leyen said Europe should become the world’s first climate neutral continent, as she sought lawmakers’ backing for the top job on Wednesday (10 July). EURACTIV’s media partner Climate Home News reports.

The nominee for the EU’s top political job said she supported raising climate targets, making aviation and maritime polluters pay and introducing a carbon border tax to make Europe the first climate neutral continent.

“The clock is ticking,” said Ursula von der Leyen as she pitched for the support of three European parliamentary groupings at back-to-back hearings on Wednesday.

“I want us, as the European Union, to be the first continent that is climate neutral,” the potential next European Commission president told the liberal Renew Europe bloc.

To the Greens, she said she would introduce legislation to toughen up the EU’s 2030 target of a 40% emissions cut below 1990 levels.

“I’m convinced that we can do more, be more ambitious. I know that you have goals that you want to see, but looking at the facts and the figures I feel confident that we can reach 50% of reduction in the year 2030,” von der Leyen said.

On Twitter and in private to Climate Home News, MEPs who were at an earlier closed meeting with the Socialist and Democrats (S&D) group said von der Leyen had told them the same.